Bucs vs. Lions: 6 things to know about their Week 14 matchup

Week 14 is officially here which means the Tampa Bay Buccaneers return home to take on the Detroit Lions at Raymond James Stadium. The Bucs are strolling into this matchup 4-8 and fresh off a tough 26-20 overtime loss to the Packers in Jameis Winston’s debut. Meanwhile, the Lions are 6-6 and also heading into this one desperate for a win following their brutal 44-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. So this will be a crucial matchup for both teams who have a lot on the line right now. Therefore, you can expect them to rally hard for a win. With that said, here are a few things to know about this weekend’s game.

Detroit leads the all-time series 30-26 in the regular season. The Lions won their most recent matchup in 2014, defeating the Bucs 34-17. In 2013, Tampa Bay broke a two-game streak by the Lions, with a 24-21 Buccaneers victory in Detroit.

The Lions’ defensive line is one of their biggest issues this season. Opposing passers have prevailed against Detroit’s defense this season and there’s a continuous lack of pressure from their defensive line, something Jameis Winston can hopefully capitalize on this week.

The Lions have one of the worst running games in the league this season. According to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, they are the second-worst team in the NFL in yards per game (78.3) and yards per attempt (3.35).

The Lions are .500 coming off a brutal loss to the Ravens in Baltimore. They’re now on a two-game losing streak with very little chances of winning the NFC North and a long road to a wild-card.

Jameis Winston could lead the Buccaneers to a much-needed big win this weekend. In his return last week, Winston finished the day 21-of-32 for 270 yards and two touchdowns with a 112.8 QB rating. Since the Lion’s defense is struggling significantly this season, Winston could thrive.

The Lions could be without quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford injured his throwing hand versus the Ravens when it was stepped on by Terrell Suggs in Sunday’s loss. X-rays revealed that there were no broken bones, but he’s in the midst of dealing with a lot of pain right now.

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